The Glory Belongs To God
“Will God ever ask you to do something you are not able to do? The answer is yes — all the time! It must be that way, for God’s glory and kingdom. If we function according to our ability alone, we get the glory; if we function according to the power of the Spirit within us, God gets the glory. He wants to reveal Himself to a watching world.” ~ Henry T. Blackaby
So many times, Christians think that God is going to “go easy” on them simply because they say that they believe. However, just the opposite is true. Jesus reminded us that, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” (Lk 12:48)
Knowing that we are responsible and are going to be held accountable can be daunting. But Jesus never said that we were going to have to go it alone. On the contrary, He promised, over and over again, that we would have all the help that we would ever need: in the Person of the Holy Spirit.
“While the difficult takes time, the impossible just takes a while longer.” That may well be the motto of the Christian. We face impossible and insurmountable tasks on a pretty regular basis. And we accomplish those tasks because we have the help of God in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Those great gifts are poured into our lives the moment we are baptized. At our confirmation, we receive a fullness of the Holy Spirit. The key, of course, is to be open to the gifts of the Spirit. If we are not open, if we do not believe the the gifts are real or that God will give us what we need, we will not receive a thing.
If we are open, however? Well, look out world! Because, if we are open to the gifts of the Spirit, God will pour them into our lives. The true Christian always uses the gifts of the Spirit for the benefit of others. The glory does not belong to us, the glory belongs to God who gives us all good things.
We come to rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us in this life. As our Lenten journey continues, let us turn to the promise of the Spirit and ask God for the spiritual gifts that we need to make this season a holy one both for ourselves and for those with whom we come in contact: our family, friends, co-workers, and others.
FAITH ACTION: Please keep our eighth graders in your prayers today and throughout this week as they prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation this coming Saturday.